Useful Searches

Welcome to PlowSite. Notice a fresh look and new features? It’s now easier to share photos and videos, find popular topics fast, and enjoy expanded user profiles. If you have any questions, click HELP at the top or bottom of any page, or send an email to help@plowsite.com. We welcome your feedback.

Its FREE PLAY!

On my 02 ram CTD I have some Serious "Free play" in the Steering Wheeel . I would say Close to 3" of it. And it HAS just become one Pain in the a$$ when towing my Landscaping and Travel Trailers. Im constantly Over Correcting or Under Correcting when Turning. Without Towing it Still is noticeable, but defintly not as much. How Can I Fix this Free Play? I have been asking and looking around for soultions and a couple of them have been: Tie -rod ends, adjust steering gear to spec, tighten steering gear mounting bolts, pitman arm or idler arm or Wheel Bearings. I've heard of the Lukes Link part but am not sure if that would do the Trick. So let me know what you guys think and any Suggestions Would be very helpful. If not on here at me email : astark907@msn.com. . The truck has 61k and Front Ball Joints were replaced 4/04. Thanks for Reading!

ok, I hate to come across this way, but have you actually checked into any of those suggestions??
Until you clear up those are not it any other's are supreflious. You have the basics to look into, and it's really easy to find steering play so have someone trn the wheel and get uinder the front end to see where the play is. Simple stuff man.
Luke's links are for track bar issues- there is no sense in useing them on tie rod ends as they cost almost the same as the end where as the track bar is poorly designed and wears out fast, plus it is hella expensive. I put a luke's link on my track bar last summer- took 40 minutes.

It's probabily your tie rods. Wheel bearings should be fine with that low milage- the track bar could also be going but it is not normally noticible at low speed (usually it results in the inability to align the truck and the "death Wobble" at highway speed).

Get under it and check out your tie rods first then the rest of the front end and let us know if there is no decisive play. (Steering box should not be the issue either but it might)

Thanks For the Response. I actually Just Researched what would be Commonly problems for Free play and Soultions to fix. I really Don't Know If its Any of those. But This weekend My Firend And I are Going to Take a look underneath and see what we can find. I let ya know.... Thanks..

AnyBody know about this Borgeson Unit? I guess its a steering shaft with a solid Steering coupler which replaces the Stock unit. Any Body have this and can offfer any info and if this might fix my problem. Thanks

The Borgeson is a replacement steering shaft from the colum to the steering box, in the old days Dodge had weak joints in there- this new a truck does not suffer from that. (94+ don;t have that problem)

then that's the problem- the borgeson will not prevent it or fix it. the track bar should not be worn- the new style is very good, but it depends on the amount of abuse the front end takes. A CTD with a plow kicks the hell out of the front ends. Incidentaly age means nothing- it depends on milage and usage. the last generation would wear out track bars in 15K miles- which translates to 6 months to a year.

Thanks , I Appreciate the input. Do you know any Type after market Trac bar? I understand the Trucks gets abused with my heavy as hell 8.5 V plow, so maybe there might be a stronger or more durable Aftermarket Bar? But I dont know

there are several out there, from custom racing companies with heim joints to them to upgrades to use the newer factory bar- do a google search for "Dodge Ram Track Bar: and you'll find most of them. Go to Dodgeram.org for a great Ram reference site too (has links for DT track bar I believe plus installation info)

I was after a heim joint one, but will probabily get the converting mount to use the 03+ bar instead now.

I have a Lukes link on mine because it was the cheapest (needs to be rebuilt every 6 months, but cheap to do) and the bar I liked wasn't in production yet. I'll check my favorites and see what else I have saved.

ok, I hate to come across this way, but have you actually checked into any of those suggestions??
Until you clear up those are not it any other's are supreflious. You have the basics to look into, and it's really easy to find steering play so have someone trn the wheel and get uinder the front end to see where the play is. Simple stuff man.
Luke's links are for track bar issues- there is no sense in useing them on tie rod ends as they cost almost the same as the end where as the track bar is poorly designed and wears out fast, plus it is hella expensive. I put a luke's link on my track bar last summer- took 40 minutes.

It's probabily your tie rods. Wheel bearings should be fine with that low milage- the track bar could also be going but it is not normally noticible at low speed (usually it results in the inability to align the truck and the "death Wobble" at highway speed).

Get under it and check out your tie rods first then the rest of the front end and let us know if there is no decisive play. (Steering box should not be the issue either but it might)

Click to expand...

Justme, I think you covered all of the bases.
Plow King, just have any one sit in your truck and wiggle the steering wheel back and forth, while you look under the front end for sloppy joints. so you know whet needs to be fixed before you let some shop tell you whats wrong.

Thanks guys for the recent mesages. Since I first posted this a few months ago, I have done A DT Trac bar which helped out a ton. But I will be also putting in a new Borg Shaft soon, we have checked out the play by looking underneath and deturmined the next thing to do would be the shaft. Borg. is located about 15-20 minutes from me so i have talked to the. and they also think it would help a lot also.
Thnaks
A.J.